I am regularly contacted regarding the triple lock and fully recognise that strongly held beliefs exist on all sides of this debate. I have met members of the Defence Forces who strongly support the proposed changes and I have heard firmly held opposition from others. In my view, legitimate arguments have been advanced on both sides and I do not believe sufficient clear and accessible information has been provided to…
TDs / Eamon Scanlon
Eamon Scanlon
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
404
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
10,443
words spoken in the chamber
Across 52 contributions
388
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
145
topics asked about
Across 20 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 404 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 52 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 36 | 7 |
| March 2025 | 33 | 1 |
| April 2025 | 15 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 23 | 0 |
| June 2025 | 15 | 0 |
| July 2025 | 24 | 2 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 18 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 26 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 25 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 16 | 4 |
| January 2026 | 21 | 4 |
| February 2026 | 21 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 20 | 3 |
| April 2026 | 28 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 21 | 5 |
| June 2026 | 14 | 7 |
| July 2026 | 13 | 3 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 19 | 1 |
| October 2026 | 16 | 7 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 46 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Worked out by computer from the subject headings of each TD's questions, giving more weight to headings few TDs use. It shows shared subjects, not shared views.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Sligo-Leitrim 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
7. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the 2025 complementary income support for young farmers penalty provisions, given that a young farmer may be required to repay moneys they never received; and if he will amend the provisions to ensure that penalties are fair and proportionate. [70782/26]
I fully accept the need for inspections and that applications must comply with the rules. However, where a young farmer fails an inspection, they can receive no payment and still face substantial financial penalty based on the payment they would have received. Would the Minister accept that requiring a young farmer to effectively repay money they never received is disproportionate, and will he review the penalty prov…
I have a case in my constituency that demonstrates the problem. A young farmer was deemed ineligible following an inspection. There is no problem with that. They received no payment under the scheme but they have now been hit with a penalty of over €7,000 calculated on the payments they would have received. If that amount is not paid, interest accrues and the penalty can ultimately be recouped from future departmenta…
104. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide additional funding to Sligo County Council to enable the housing adaptation grant scheme to reopen to priority 2 and priority 3 applications, which have been paused for a number of months. [68949/26]
I thank the Minister of State. I have raised this issue a number of times. The position in Sligo is critical. Sligo County Council received €2.3 million in Exchequer funding for 2026, an increase of 30%, and I want to recognise that. In fairness, it was very much needed. Priority 2 housing adaptation grant applications, however, remain paused and new applications are being returned. The council has, I am told, sought…
It is important that we help these people before their circumstances deteriorate to the point where they become a priority 1 case. The whole purpose of the housing adaptation grant is to intervene before someone reaches crisis point, not afterwards. Priority 1 cases must always come first, but being a priority 2 case cannot mean having no priority at all. There is a human cost to delaying these adaptations, as well a…
Sligo University Hospital will shortly submit its options appraisal for formal capital approval for the replacements of its orthopaedic theatres. This project will provide two new replacement orthopaedic theatres, essential storage facilities and additional beds. I appeal to the Minister for Health and the Department to move swiftly in approving this critical development. The existing orthopaedic theatres are no long…
9. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the progress made to date under national strategic outcome, NSO, 3 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51311/26]
While national progress is welcome, people in the north west want to know what NSO 3 is delivering for Sligo, Leitrim and south Donegal. Our region has huge potential in tourism, enterprise, remote working and the blue and green economies, but the potential is still being held back by infrastructural deficits and poor connectivity.
Roads funding is a major concern in Sligo, Leitrim and south Donegal, and planned roa…
The success of NSO 3 should ultimately be judged by whether rural counties can attract and retain people, jobs and investment. In the north-west, communities across Sligo and Leitrim and south Donegal continue to argue that stronger intervention is needed to overcome decades of underinvestment. They point to the need for accelerated broadband delivery, greater support for town centre regeneration, expanded remote wor…
The Taoiseach will be aware of the devastating situation now facing two major festivals in the north west following the collapse of Tickets.ie over the June bank holiday weekend. The Rory Gallagher International Festival in Ballyshannon is owed €283,000 and the Cowboys and Heroes festival in Leitrim is owed €130,000 in revenue that rightly belongs to them. These festivals are not just annual events. They are signific…
What support can we give these people? Legislation should be introduced to make safe clients' funds, as is the case with solicitors and estate agents.
It is €283,000.
9. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action being taken to reduce the cost of childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47437/26]
I wish to highlight an urgent and exceptional situation facing St. Patrick's National School in Calry, County Sligo, which requires immediate and practical intervention to ensure children in this community can access the education they are entitled to. St. Patrick's National School is experiencing unprecedented staffing pressures for the 2026-2027 school year. The school has already pursued the appropriate channels a…
I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the primary staffing appeals board operates independently of the Department and I understand from the response to my representation that its decision is considered final. However, what is at stake goes far beyond the numbers or technical criteria.
The decision not to allocate an additional teacher to St. Patrick's National School is, in practical terms, short-sighted and …
Recent legislative developments have not addressed practical barriers that continue to delay and prevent many people from setting up an enduring power of attorney, EPA. Before the Easter recess, the Government expedited the passage of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2026 through the Dáil and Seanad. The Act’s primary purpose is to enable High Court to extend on a case-by-case basis the timefr…
163. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans in place to address the accommodation difficulties at ATU Sligo; to provide an update on the purchase of a 16 acre site near the ATU Sligo campus that was earmarked for student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34365/26]
The announcement in February 2025 represented a significant boost for the university, particularly given that this site had long been identified as a crucial element in addressing the ongoing accommodation crisis in Sligo. For several years the shortage of suitable and affordable student housing has placed considerable pressure on both the university community and the wider local area. It is, therefore, understandabl…
To be honest, I was not fully aware of the situation. In recent years hundreds of students in Sligo have found themselves without suitable accommodation following the repurposing of two privately owned student housing complexes that had traditionally provided beds for approximately 500 students. Their conversion to facilities for international protection applicants significantly reduced the availability of purpose-bu…
I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak on this issue. I know I am not the only TD who has been contacted by parents who want to pass a property from one generation to the next. At its heart, this is not about tax breaks for the wealthy; it is about fairness, stability and the ability of ordinary families to plan their futures without being overwhelmed by financial pressures that are, in many cases, disproport…
I thank the Minister of State for her response. I am pointing out that where there is a gain somebody is definitely entitled to pay capital gains tax but, unfortunately, the parent who hands over that property has no gain, gets no money and has to pay out maybe €70,000 or €75,000. In this particular case I raised, they may have to pay out €70,000 or €75,000 in capital gains tax, despite the fact they do not get any f…
A 42-bed ward is currently under construction on the Sligo University Hospital campus. This development is very welcome. However, beneath this building there will be a vacant space specifically earmarked for a future daycare oncology unit. The planned oncology day unit represents a major opportunity to expand capacity, improve patient experience and deliver safer and more timely care for cancer patients in the region…
I thank the Minister for his response. It is extremely important to ensure that the oncology unit is fully funded and delivered and to immediately progress the surgical ward development. The people of Sligo and the wider north-west area deserve a timely, safe and reliable hospital service. These commitments are essential to delivering that service.